Arts et Métiers ParisTech () is a French engineering and research institute of higher education. It is a grande école, recognized for leading in the fields of mechanics and industrialization. Founded in 1780, it is among the oldest French institutions and is one of the most prestigious engineering schools in France. It has been consistently ranked among the top French engineering schools and was ranked fifth in France for Mechanical Engineering in the Shanghai ranking 2018.
The school has trained 85,000 engineers since its foundation by François Alexandre Frédéric, duc de la Rochefoucauld-Liancourt. It is a "Public Scientific, Cultural and Professional Institution" (EPSCP) under the authority of the Ministry of Higher Education and Research and has the special status of . The École nationale supérieure d'arts et métiers (ENSAM), which adopted the brand name "Arts et Métiers ParisTech" in 2007, was a founding member of ParisTech (Paris Institute of Technology), héSam and France AEROTECH.
Arts et Métiers ParisTech consists of eight Teaching and Research Centres (CER) and three institutes spread across the country. Its students are called Gadz'Arts.
History
Foundation The school was founded in Liancourt, Oise, by Duke of Rochefoucauld-Liancourt in 1780; it was originally meant to provide in-depth training for military dragoon officers children. After 1800, the institution became known as the École d'Arts et Métiers.
Under Napoleon's reign, it was known as the "École impériale des arts et métiers". He intended to use the school to train "Non-commissioned officers of Industry". The empire decided to move the school to a bigger city, Compiègne, in 1799. When Napoléon Bonaparte visited the castle where the school was located, he thought that it was inappropriate for such an industrial school to occupy the place. He decided to relocate the school to Châlons-en-Champagne in 1806, where two former monasteries were made available to offer much more space.
During the world wars
Many students and alumni enlisted in the armed forces during the World War I. It is estimated that of the 6500 gadzarts who joined the army, 1100 died the first year of the conflict. Many campuses were damaged by the war, especially that of Châlons-sur-Marne, which was in the middle of the Battle of the Marne. The Lille campus was occupied by the Germans and used as a military hospital. The other campuses were completely closed from 1916 to 1917, and the new Parisian campus was undamaged.
Between the wars, the rapid industrialization of Europe favoured the Gadzarts. The arms race pushed industry to hire more engineers and the gadzarts matched their needs perfectly. The other important factor was the creation of new ranks in the hierarchical working organization. The middle management and upper management positions were perfect for the gadzarts engineers who rapidly filled these positions in most industries; especially automotive, aeronautical and construction.
During World War II, the school tried to keep a certain level of activity. The only campuses to experience some difficulties were Lille and Châlons-sur-Marne: in 1939 no new students were admitted. The Cluny campus was the target of a roundup in 1943, and a large part of students and staff were deported. The death of Jacques Bonsergent left a mark on the conflict, he became a symbol of resistance to the oppressor.
Expansion and new campuses The second school of this kind was founded in 1804 at Beaupréau and then transferred to Angers in 1815. Three decades later, a third school was built in Aix-en-Provence in 1843, in former barracks and monasteries.
At the dawn of the 20th century, the development of the school expanded to three new campuses. In 1891, the ancient abbey of Cluny was chosen to host the activities of the fourth school. Then, to go hand in hand with the industrial revolution, the members of parliament decided to create a fifth campus in Lille, a city that was rapidly growing. The facilities of Lille were the first ones to be built expressly for the school. The campus of Paris, a long-standing project, was built between 1906 and 1912. It became the biggest campus of the Arts et Métiers but World War II delayed the school's opening. By the end of the war, the campus had over 500 students.
In the middle of the "Trentes Glorieuses" (the Glorious Thirty), the seventh campus was created near Bordeaux, in the science park of Talence. The modern buildings were operational in 1963.
The latest campus established was Metz (1997). The campus was built in the science park, close to the transportation hubs. The school wanted this campus to become an international one, being close to Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. Its construction was also motivated by partnerships with German (KIT) and American (Georgia Tech) universities.
Between 1990 and 2000, the three institutes of research were created: Chambéry in 1994, Chalon-sur-Saône in 1997 and Bastia in 2000.
The school also has two satellite campuses in Bouc-bel-Air and Laval that are under the authority of the main campuses of Aix-en-provence and Angers. These satellites are linked to the research programs and laboratories of the school.
Important dates
In 1817, the school's military status was removed by royal order and the official goal of the school was set to train qualified technicians. However, in practice, the organisation remained military and the students continued to wear the uniform. This tradition continues today. In 1826, a second royal order confirmed this new status, and the military organisation was fully removed. The students were granted the right to wear the uniform as a civil one. After a third attempt, the students gained the right to form an association of the Arts et Métiers alumni in 1847. The regional campuses were transformed into engineer training institutions in 1907. In 1963, the curriculum was modified in order to recruit new students from the Classes préparatoires. In 1964, Nicole Laroche became the first woman enrolled at the Arts et Métiers. The school became a grande école in 1976 and received the EPSCP status in 1990.
In 2007, the school created the PRES ParisTech and adopted the brand name "Arts et Métiers ParisTech" and no longer uses "ENSAM" in its publications, until removing the mention of «ParisTech» from its logo in 2016.
Logos and symbols
At the beginning of its history, the school did not have a proper logo, but shared its blazon with the Duke and the city of Liancourt. On the bottom-left of the blazon, the letters A and M are written on the inside of a gear, over a red background. With the different regimes and the different names of the eightieth and ninetieth centuries, the visual identity of the school was not defined properly. First it adopted the imperial eagle as a symbol, when Napoléon Bonaparte was in authority, then it was replaced by a royal flower to greet the return of the monarchy. Eventually the students decided to create their own symbol and keep it regardless of the status quo. This symbol originally represented interlocking capital A and M, inspired by the blazon of Liancourt. It is still used today by the students, but it evolved slightly to a smoother version in the 1950s. The alumni association first logo was also inspired by the blazon of Liancourt (A&M, gear), but later adopted the students' version.
In 1963, a modern logo was designed for the school, completely different from what was known so far, but it kept the letters A and M. In 2007, with the creation of ParisTech, the school decided to create a brand new logo. This time the letters are not written anymore, but they can be read on the contours of the purple and orange diamonds. The new brand name of the school is mentioned on the right of the diamonds.
Rankings and figures
Whether speaking about starting salary, involvement in research or international opportunities, Arts et Métiers ParisTech has been consistently ranked among the top ten French engineering schools, along with other schools like Mines ParisTech, , CentraleSupélec or ENSTA Paris. It is even considered to be in the top 5 Grandes écoles recruiting students after classes préparatoires. The main figures are presented in the following lines: 1100 engineering degrees delivered each year (diplôme d'ingénieur = Master's degree in mechanical and industrial engineering) 6200 students 33000 alumni in the world 400 professors, 250 full-time researchers 200 industrial consultants 600 technicians and admins 15 labs and research teams 220 PhD students 125 million € global budget
National ranking (ranked for its Master of Sciences in Engineering) NameYearRankDAUR Rankings202234 ea
Programs
The primary goal of Arts et Métiers ParisTech is to provide an initial foundation in general engineering principles for the disciplines of mechanical, structural, electrical and industrial engineering. Arts et Métiers ParisTech also offers continuing training for engineers and industry executives.
With 15 research laboratories and two PhD programs, Arts et Métiers ParisTech develops teaching and research activities in three main fields: Mechanics, materials, processes Fluids and energy systems Design, industrialization, risk management and decision-making
The school's training programs include about 24 Research-Based Masters and about 20 Advanced Masters programs and PhD studies.
Engineering curriculum: "Diplôme d'ingénieur"
Arts et Métiers ParisTech is renowned for its 3-year graduate engineering training that leads to the "diplôme d'ingénieur" degree, equivalent of a Master's degree of industrial and mechanical engineering.
Admission
Most of the annual 1100 candidates come from the Classes Préparatoires (CPGE), a two-year intensive programme of undergraduate studies in sciences. The national entry examination usually takes place in May. It consists of a written exam that lasts two weeks (Banque PT or CentraleSupelec), covering mathematics, physics, engineering sciences, literature and foreign languages. The applicants are then ranked nationally and the best ones are invited to attend oral exams in July. After this second phase, the applicants are sorted again to determine the final ranking. Only the top of this ranking is admitted to Arts et Métiers ParisTech. Occasionally, additional tests are requested if the candidate is considering a double-degree programme or a special curriculum.
Other ways of recruitment exist, sometimes those who have performed well in technical studies in lower-ranked colleges (DUT, University Technology Diploma or BTS, Higher Technician's Certificate) may be admitted. A special entrance exam is organized for these candidates and offers around 100 places.
It is also possible to apply after successfully completing a bachelor's degree or a master's degree in another university. Fifty candidates are admitted each year from the university system.
Curriculum
Each student spends at least three years in school. This time is usually extended with the choice of a special training, a stay abroad or an extra internship.
The first 2 years are dedicated to a core curriculum covering all the fields of engineering: Mechanics Materials science Mechatronics Electrotechnics Process engineering: welding, forming, machining, casting Statistics Programming CAD and computer methods Fluid mechanics Thermodynamics Supply chain Systems and commands Power transmission and transformation Mechanical and industrial design
The training also includes management, finance and language courses. The third year is dedicated to specialised courses, such as sharp technical skills and good management basics.
During the three years, the students have to work on two big projects (one in first year, the other in second year) and have to complete three internships (as a labourer for one month, then as an engineering assistant for three months and then as a research engineer for six months).